Chaeles dickenson



I UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES DIOKENSON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF PART TO ELIZABETHMONTIS, MARY L. WOOSTER, AND MOLLIE J. ORANDALL.

BUTTON-HOLE CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,333, dated June21.1887.

Applicalion filed January 22, 1887. Serial No. 225,1:5. (Yo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known t-hat'l, CHARLES DIOKENSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Multnoinah and State of Oregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Hole-OuttingDevices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact.description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghadto the accompan y i ng drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The work of cutting button-holes by means oftho cutting devices nowordinarily employed is both slow and tedious, as much care and skill arerequired toinsure that the slit for each button-hole shall beproperlysituated relatively to all the others and to the edge of the cloth.

My invention relates to certain noveldevices whereby I insure threethings necessary in cutting button-holes, to wit: first, that each cutin any given piece of work shall be exactly the same length as eachother cut; secondly, that the cuts may be quickly and accurately made atthe proper distances apart, and, thirdly, that each cut shall be atright angles to the edge of the fabric in which it is made. To securethese advantages I combine with a pair of button-hole scissors ofsubstantially the form shown in the drawings a gage block or plate, inwhich the scissors are firmly 5 held and worked.

I am aware that scissors or shears of substantially the ordinary kindshave been provided with button-hole-cutting blades between the pivot andthe finger-loops in the handles; but to such scissors, when used alone,are incident the difficulties hereinbefore referred to.

I am also aware that gage-plates have been used with differentbutton-hole piercing or cutting tools, and I do not, therefore,wish tobe understood as claiming, broadly, a gage in con1- bination with abutton-hole cutter. V

V In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the scissors. Fig. 2is a perspective "iew of the scissors and gage-plate in position foruse. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the plate.

beginning some distance in rear of the pivot,

so that when the parts A B are closed together there shall be an openspace, 0, between them and the portions of the blades through which 6the pivot passes, as is customary in button-hole scissors.

D is a set or stop screw seated in a threaded aperture in blade A, andadapted to have its end bear against the opposite blade and limit theirmovements, whereby the slit cut in the fabric may be longer or shorter,as is desired, the scale on blade abeing used in this connection, aswill be understood without further explanation.

Stop-screws have heretofore been used between the handle portions ofbutton'hole scissors to limit the amount which the blades shall cut;but, so far as I am aware, they have always projected more or lessoutward from the handles, and hence have caught and become frequentlyentangled with thread and other loose material, and are in this respectobjectionable. Hence I have arranged screw D so that its only projectingpart is between the 8: handles, where it is the least exposed.

To receive and entirely inclose the screwthreaded shank or stem, Ienlarge or thicken somewhat the handle portion of one of the blades, asat d, which, being in immediate proximity to the finger-loop, does notgive any objectionable or clumsy appearance thereto.

The gage plate or block (represented by E) may be formed of wood,.metal,or any other desirable material, and is of a thickness preferably equalto the transverse diameter of one 7 of the finger-loops, of a widthpreferably equal to the distance from the forward edge of thebutton-hole-cuttingblade to the rear part of the finger-loop, and of anydesirable length. It is adapted to be attached to the edge of a table bya clamp, F, and has its front upper edge provided with a graduatedscale, 0. In' a central slot, G, in this plate one part, I3, of thescissors is adapted to lie and be confined, the arrangement of this slotbeing such that when the blade of the scissors is confined therein itsbutton-hole-cutting blade shall lie at right angles to the scale 0, andwith its forward cutting portion in line therewith. The slot G is formedof two parts-a rear portion, g, cut entirely through, or to a depthabout equal to the diameter of the finger-loop which lies therein, and aforward portion, g, upon the upper edge of which lies and is supportedthe face of blade B opposite its cutting-edge b.

To hold the blade B securely in the slot G, I place a bar, I-I, acrossthe rear end of the slot, under which bar a projection, I, carried bythe finger-loop, catches. As a further security, a hook or catch, K, maylie across the portion 0 of the blade and hold it at this place. Theblade B. being thus securely held in the gage-plate, the cutting of theslits for the but ton-holes is eifected by placing the fabric betweenblades a and b and then reciprocating the free blade A. The length ofthe cutswhereby the size of the button-holes is determined-is regulatedby screw D. The relation of the cuts for the button-holes at rightangles to the edge of the fabric is insured by placing the edge of thecloth parallel with the gage c, as the cutting-blades are fixed at rightangles thereto, while the distance apart at which the cuts are made maybe accurately regulated by the division-marks along the edge c.

Itwill be seen by an examination of Fig. 2 that when the scissors are inplace in the block or plate E the blade I) is in the plane of or onlyslightly above the upper face of the block, so that the fabric may beeasily slid along over said blade. By preference I taper the oppo-. sitesides of the projection I and make its edge straight, so that it may beused as a screwdriver when the scissors are not otherwise employed.

I am aware that a gage consisting of a narrow strip of metal bent at oneend to clamp one blade of a pair of scissors is old, and hence I desireto disclaim such device; but my in- "ention differs from such earliergage, in that v to a table slotted to receive one blade of the scissors,which is thereby held against possible turning at the desired anglerelatively to the scale marked on the block.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is i 1. In combinationwith a pair of buttonhole scissors having crossed pivoted blades, ablock adapted to be secured to a table,having formed therein a slot,wherein one of the said blades is removably placed and held againstturning, with its cutting-edge in a fixed position relative to a scaleon said block, and means, substantially such as described, for holdingsaid blade in the slot, as set forth.

2. In combination with a pair of buttonhole scissors, the handle of oneblade of which is provided with aprojection, l, aplate orblock, E,having formed therein a slot, G, in which one blade of the scissors isheld. and a bar eX- tending across said slot, and under which projectionI is placed and held, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a pair of button-hole scissors, a plate or block,E, having formed therein a slot, G, in which is held one blade of thescissors, means for holding said blade in the slot, and a catch, K,adapted to lie across the blade of the scissors seated in the plate,

and to assist in holding it in place, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof laifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES D ICKENSON.

Vitnesses:

J. ,S. BARKER, EWELL A. DICK.

